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I think the reason Lindholm is not rated higher is that he is not getting much attention as some of these other guys and the big three are all over here on this side of the pond. He might also not get the recognition because the other guys after the big three are big player Barkov, Monahan and Nichushkin are all big bodied players. He is flying under the radar but he is a very good players.

What does that have to do with RNH and especially Gagner getting owned in puck battles and faceoffs consistantly by the likes of Kopitar, Richards, Carter, Hanzel, Big Joe, and Getzlaf.

No one ever said small players cant be good defensively. RNH has been great this season in his own end while playing all year with a torn labrum. Gagner on the other hand has looked as bad as he did in his previous 5 NHL seasons.

That was in reference to the prior poster saying we needed a big selke-calibre forward...

And size really doesn't matter that much if we're talking about puck battles... and certainly not faceoffs. Size does not equate to grit, faceoff, or puck possession capabilities.

Quote:

Originally Posted by dnicks17

So it sounds like Lindholm has pretty good size(6'0'' 192lbs), has put up incredible SEL pre-draft numbers, is a creative playmaker, with top-end work ethic and is also very physical.

Why isn't he rated higher?

Is he not a great skater or something?

Skating is the primary concern but from what I've read it's more the fact of having elite prospects in front of him in the draft.

Here's a random scouting report on him for anyone who is interested:

"Lindholm is a talented centre with excellent vision and playmaking ability. He has soft hands and excellent stickhandling. Lindholm has patience with the puck, and is very creative, able to thread passes through small openings. While he is more of a playmaker than a scorer, his shot is decent, and his release good. With a little more bulk, he may be able to add some power. He works hard in the corners and wins battles, but again needs to gain a little bit more muscle on his frame for NHL hockey. A key asset is that Lindholm is unafraid to go to the dirty areas of the ice to make plays though, and loves to finish his checks.

Lindholm seems to have a very wide skating stride, that seems awkward at times. However this gives him tremendous balance, and allows him to be very strong on the puck, and gives him the ability to fight off hits, hooks, and holds. It really doesn’t diminish his skating too much either, as he has good top end speed and acceleration. His agility and edgework are strong and compbined with his soft hands allow him to make precise dekes around defenders.

Lindholm has an effective defensive game, as his willingness to throw his weight around extends to the defensive zone. He works hard on the back check and understands his defensive responsibilities down low. He works hard on the backcheck, reads the play well, and effectively handles his responsibilities. His complete game is very well developped for an 18 year old player.

Stylistically Lindholm’s game reminds us of Peter Forsberg. Now again, this is a style comparison only, and we would like to avoid saying he’ll be as good as the Hall of Famer. In terms of potential, we see Lindholm’s ceiling as a point per game player who can be used in all situations, and play big time minutes on the first line in the NHL."

Yeah, there's no question Barkov would be the preference. The question is whether or not we're going to have a chance to draft him. I'd be shocked if he was on the board at #5 so a bottom 4 finish is a must (I know Nichushkin is ranked higher on some lists, but there's no way he goes that early).

I just hope that the Oilers are able to make a trade into the 3/4 spot to draft him. Despite our horrible play of late, I just don't see us finishing lower than 6. And Barkov will be long gone by then, guaranteed.

Injury history, foot speed and Euro factor may make him a lower pick than Monahan.

Gagner just doesn't play a physical, "bigger than his size" type game though and he's not defensively superior... he's mediocre to average at best in his own end. Gotta give him an A for effort in the fighting department though... no one can question his heart.

Every player is of course different and 2 players at 5'11 and 190 lbs can have radically different playing styles and skillsets.

Pretty sure Lindholm is 6'0'' tall. He certainly looks bigger than Gagner and is stronger on his skates. Will be confirmed at the combine of course but we'll have to wait a month and a half for that.

I think one guy who might get ranked a few spots higher after the combine is D.Nurse.
The guy can boost into top 5 in rankings just by the way I expect him to impress at combine.

I havent seen Lindholm in action but if he can make our top 6 tougher, win majority of faceoffs and put up decent points then he is good enough a pick. I believe Monahan does all that. Barkov is better if he can stay healthy and improves foot speed.

I think one guy who might get ranked a few spots higher after the combine is D.Nurse.
The guy can boost into top 5 in rankings just by the way I expect him to impress at combine.

I havent seen Lindholm in action but if he can make our top 6 tougher, win majority of faceoffs and put up decent points then he is good enough a pick. I believe Monahan does all that. Barkov is better if he can stay healthy and improves foot speed.

monahan has been called "the most NHL ready player" in the draft, and "the most complete player" in the draft specifically because he can do a little of everything... he's the type of guy that is almost guaranteed to be at least a good 3rd line C, with the upside being a solid #2 C

monahan, barkov and jones will all likely play in the NHL next season, mostly because of their physical maturity... drouin and lindholm likely won't due to their size and locations, and nurse likely won't because he is a dman who wasn't drafted top-3 (they are pretty much the only D to play in the NHL the next season)... i'd be shocked if monahan or barkov weren't good enough to be our #4 C next year for example

Monahan’s skating is good for a guy his size. His stride is fluid and Monahan is able to generate good top end speed as a result. His acceleration, agility and edgework are good, allowing Monahan to get by defenders and take advantage of his good stickhandling in making moves past defenders. Monahan’s best asset though is his strength on the puck and his balance. He fights through tight checking, doesn’t get knocked off the puck, and makes plays.

Monahan’s two way game is amongst the best developed in this draft. His face-off ability is very good, and he was voted by OHL’s coaches as the 3rd best faceoff man in the Eastern Conference, impressive for a draft eligible player.He uses his size and strength effectively in the defensive end of the ice, and contains opponents off the cycle. He cuts down passing and shooting lanes, and is not shy about blocking shots. Monahan’s high effort level and commitment will make him NHL ready sooner rather than later.

Monahan’s game and style remind us of Eric Staal. He can be effective in all areas of the ice, in all situations, and make the players around him better. He plays a strong physical game as well. Potential wise, Monahan has everything necessary to say that his ceiling is as a point-per-game, first line NHL centre.

That is a guy that could break in in the bottom 6, then move his way up the depth chart like Horcoff did. That being said, why would we want him to play next season? Let him mature in junior another year, play for Canada then come up the season after.

The theory of not drafting a winger because we need a centre is ludicrous.

If we are fifth and the draft board for whatever reason goes...

Jones
MacKinnon
Barkov
Nurse

and we don't take Drouin? May a plague hit Oilers front office. Take the BPA unless you have them equal. It took cajones to take Hall over Seguin when we needed a 1st line C.

I expect though we will see...

Jones
MacKinnon/Drouin
MacKinnon/Drouin
Barkov

That opens the world of possibilities...and I would suggest that Monahan is probably the Oilers pick from 5-8 OV. I expect Nichushkin to do a Grigorenko and fall to 8-12, although a great talent. (Signed for at least one more year in KHL I think).

The theory of not drafting a winger because we need a centre is ludicrous.

If we are fifth and the draft board for whatever reason goes...

Jones
MacKinnon
Barkov
Nurse

and we don't take Drouin? May a plague hit Oilers front office. Take the BPA unless you have them equal. It took cajones to take Hall over Seguin when we needed a 1st line C.

I expect though we will see...

Jones
MacKinnon/Drouin
MacKinnon/Drouin
Barkov

That opens the world of possibilities...and I would suggest that Monahan is probably the Oilers pick from 5-8 OV. I expect Nichushkin to do a Grigorenko and fall to 8-12, although a great talent. (Signed for at least one more year in KHL I think).

if drouin is available when we select (unless we win the lottery) we'll be taking him, no doubt.... i can't fathom a scenario where drouin makes it past the 4th pick though

Monahan is going to be an absolute steal if he falls past 6. His team and a controversial 10 game suspension are the only things setting him back at this point IMO. There isn't anything I can think of as a flaw in his game unless there is some inconsistency. Some people like to compare him to Couturier but I think Couturier had a lot more question marks heading into the draft. Couturier is softer, lazier, slower, and has worse hands.

Born in Skelleftea, Sweden, Mats Lindgen starred on his hometown club for three years before joining Farjestads BK. He was chosen in the first round, 15th overall, by the Winnipeg Jets in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft. He came to North America in 1995-96 and suited up briefly for the AHL's Cape Breton Oilers.
The young forward scored 25 points as a rookie in 1996-97 as a member of the Edmonton Oilers. The next year, he scored 13 goals and saw action on both specialty teams. Lindgren was also picked to represent his country at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan.